epilepsy

Also known as epilepsy syndrome, epileptic syndrome, epileptiform, caducus morbus, morbus comitialis, Saint Valentine's malady, seizure disorder

Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain that can cause a variety of symptoms, ranging from brief lapses of awareness or muscle jerks to prolonged convulsions. These episodes can result in physical injuries, either directly, such as broken bones, or through causing accidents. The diagnosis of epilepsy typically requires at least two unprovoked seizures occurring more than 24 hours apart. In some cases, however, it may be diagnosed after a single unprovok

AI overview

Epilepsy is a brain condition that makes people prone to having recurrent seizures—sudden bursts of abnormal electrical activity that can cause anything from brief moments of lost awareness to violent muscle convulsions. It matters because seizures can cause serious physical injuries through falls, accidents, or the convulsions themselves, and the unpredictability of when they'll strike significantly affects people's daily lives and safety.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Epilepsy
Medical condition (new).synonyms: Seizure disorder Neurological disability
Medical condition (new).image: Spike-waves.png
Medical condition (new).alt: The electroencephalogram recording of a person with childhood absence epilepsy showing a seizure. The waves are black on a white background.
Medical condition (new).caption: Generalized 3 Hz spike-and-wave discharges on an electroencephalogram
Medical condition (new).field: Neurology
Medical condition (new).symptoms: Periods of loss of consciousness, abnormal shaking, staring, change in vision, mood changes and/or other cognitive disturbances
Medical condition (new).duration: Long term
Medical condition (new).causes: Unknown, brain injury, stroke, brain tumors, infections of the brain, birth defects
Medical condition (new).diagnosis: Electroencephalogram, ruling out other possible causes
Medical condition (new).differential: Fainting, alcohol withdrawal, electrolyte problems
Medical condition (new).treatment: Medication, surgery, neurostimulation, dietary changes
Medical condition (new).prognosis: Controllable in 69%
Medical condition (new).frequency: 51.7 million/0.68% (2021)
Medical condition (new).deaths: 140,000 (2021)

via Wikipedia infobox

Research

204,371 papers

Epilepsy in adults.ReviewLancet (London, England) · 2019Thijs RD, Surges R, O'Brien TJ et al.DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32596-0
Recent advances in epilepsy.ReviewJournal of neurology · 2017Manford MDOI: 10.1007/s00415-017-8394-2
The natural history and prognosis of epilepsy.ReviewEpileptic disorders : international epilepsy journal with videotape · 2015Beghi E, Giussani G, Sander JWDOI: 10.1684/epd.2015.0751
Global Health: Epilepsy.ReviewSeminars in neurology · 2018Ali ADOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1646947
[Neuropathology of epilepsy].Annales de pathologie · 2020Tran S, Mathon B, Morcos-Sauvain E et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.annpat.2020.08.001
Antiepileptic Drug Combinations for Epilepsy: Mechanisms, Clinical Strategies, and Future Prospects.ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Li C, Wang X, Deng M et al.DOI: 10.3390/ijms26094035
Sunflower syndrome: a poorly understood photosensitive epilepsy.ReviewDevelopmental medicine and child neurology · 2021Geenen KR, Patel S, Thiele EADOI: 10.1111/dmcn.14723
Unraveling the genetic basis of epilepsy: Recent advances and implications for diagnosis and treatment.ReviewBrain research · 2024Dwivedi R, Kaushik M, Tripathi M et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149120

via PubMed

Wikidata facts

Image: Spike-waves.png

Show 8 more facts

Commons category: Epilepsy
NCI Thesaurus ID: C3020
ICPC 2 ID: N88
exact match: purl.obolibrary.org/obo/DOID_1826
equivalent class: identifiers.org/doid/DOID:0050707
ICD-9-CM: 345.80
prevalence: 0.009
P8168: Q195074

Sources (9)

via Wikidata · CC0

~75 min read

Article

58 sections

Contents

Signs and symptoms
Seizures
Focal seizures
Generalized seizures
Triggers and reflex seizures
Seizure clusters
Postictal state
Psychosocial
Causes
Structural
Genetics
Infectious
Immune
Metabolic
Unknown
Mechanism
Seizures
Epilepsy
Diagnosis
Definition
Classification
Syndromes
Tests
Differential diagnosis
Prevention
Complications
Management
First aid and acute management of seizures
Medications
Surgery
Neuromodulation
Diet
Adjunctive and complementary therapies
Contraception and pregnancy
Prognosis
Cognition
Mortality
Epidemiology
History
Society and culture
Stigma
Economic impact
Driving and legal restrictions
Advocacy and support organizations
Research directions
Animal models
Genetics and molecular research
Epileptogenesis and biomarkers
Antiseizure drug development
Seizure prediction
Remote detection of seizures
Mechanistic modeling and alternative pathways
Potential future therapies
Other animals
See also
References
Further reading
External links

The underlying cause is often unknown, but epilepsy can result from brain injury, stroke, infections, tumors, genetic conditions, or developmental abnormalities. Epilepsy that occurs as a result of other issues may be preventable. Diagnosis involves ruling out other conditions that can resemble seizures, and may include neuroimaging, blood tests, and electroencephalography (EEG).